England cricket team and fans honored former player and coach Graham Thorpe before the first Test match against Sri Lanka. There was a heartfelt round of applause for Thorpe, as players and fans recognized him before the series began.
Recently Thorpe took his own life at age 55 earlier this month after facing depression and anxiety. He had been dealing with serious health issues since 2022. This was England’s first game since his passing.
Before the match, the England cricket team and support staff showed their respect for Thorpe by applauding as his picture was displayed on a large screen at the stadium. Players from both teams wore black armbands, which England will continue to wear throughout the Test match in Manchester.
“The cricket community is still coming to terms with the sad loss of Graham Thorpe. As one of England’s greatest batters, Graham was cherished by everyone in the cricket world and respected by fans everywhere. The cricket world has been in mourning since we received this tragic news.
Our thoughts are with his wife Amanda, his children, his father Jeff, and all of his family and friends during this incredibly tough time. We will always remember Graham for his remarkable contributions to cricket,” was expressed during the moving tribute.
Graham Thorpe’s Cricket Career
The former Surrey player represented the England national cricket team in 100 Test matches. He scored 6744 runs with an average of 44.60 including 16 centuries and 39 half-centuries. In One Day Internationals, he scored 2380 runs in 82 matches with an average of 37.19 including 21 half-centuries.
Thorpe also accumulated nearly 33,000 runs in first-class and List-A cricket. He served as England’s assistant coach and was the interim head coach for T20s against Pakistan in 2020 and for a Test match during the 2021-22 Ashes series. Though he was set to be Afghanistan’s head coach in March 2022, he couldn’t take on the role due to illness.
